“I have never consciously "used" humour in my life. Such humour as I may have is one of the elements in which I live.”

— Robertson Davies

Ham and Tongue.
One-Half of Robertson Davies (1977)
Context: I have never consciously "used" humour in my life. Such humour as I may have is one of the elements in which I live. I cannot recall a time when I was not conscious of the deep, heaving, rolling ocean of hilarity that lies so very near the surface of life in most of its aspects. If I am a moralist — and I suppose I am — I am certainly not a gloomy moralist, and if humour finds its way into my work it is because I cannot help it.

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Robertson Davies 282

Canadian journalist, playwright, professor, critic, and nov… 1913–1995

Dean Koontz book Relentless

Source: Relentless

“I have a fine sense of the ridiculous, but no sense of humour.”

Edward Albee Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1961)

“I have never understood why it should be considered derogatory to the Creator to suppose that he has a sense of humour.”

William Ralph Inge (1860–1954) Dean of St Pauls

"Confessio Fidei" http://archive.org/stream/outspokenessays00ingeiala#page/24/mode/2up/search/I+have+never+understood+why+it+should+be+considered+derogatory+to+the+Creator+to+suppose+that+he+has+a+sense+of+humour, Outspoken Essays (Second Series) (1922)

“I am a little shy of any assumption of moral indignation. There is always in it an element of self-satisfaction which makes it awkward to anyone who has a sense of humour.”

W. Somerset Maugham book The Moon and Sixpence

Source: The Moon and Sixpence (1919), Ch. 32, p. 116

“Truly … as accidental as my Life may be, or as that random Humour is, which governs it; I know nothing, after all, so real or substantial as My-Self. Therefore if there be that Thing you call a Substance, I take for granted I am one. But for anything further relating to this Question, you know my Sceptick Principles: I determine neither way.”

Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury (1671–1713) English politician and Earl

Vol. 2, p. 83; Part 3, Sect. 1 "Philocles to Palemon".
Characteristicks of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times (1711)

“If I have tried to observe the personal courtesies of public life, it is not because I fail to hate the political enemy’s creed. If I have sought to find some humour in the conflict, it is not because I under-estimate the gravity of the battle. The best years of my life have been given to what I deeply believe is a struggle for freedom.”

Robert Menzies (1894–1978) Australian politician, 12th Prime Minister of Australia

1949 election campaign speech https://electionspeeches.moadoph.gov.au/speeches/1949-robert-menzies, delivered in Melbourne on November 10, 1949
Wilderness Years (1941-1949)

“Once you have perceived that life is very cruel, the only response is to live with as much humanity, humour and freedom as you can.”

Sarah Kane (1971–1999) playwright from England

“Some critics think the way I write is somehow disrespectful to food. But how can you write a restaurant column without being entertaining? You might as well not get up in the morning. People complain my sense of humour is puerile but the reason I have a job is because my sense of humour is puerile.”

Giles Coren (1969) British food critic, television presenter and novelist

Jewish Chronicle, 23 February 2007 http://website.thejc.com/home.aspx?AId50455&ATypeId1&searchtrue2&srchstrGiles%20Coren&srchtxt0&srchhead1&srchauthor0&srchsandp0&scsrch0

“Basically, the Germans came to us and said, "We don't have a sense of humour."”

Eric Idle (1943) British comedian, actor, singer and writer

Answering the question "Why did you do two episodes in German?" on an HBO March 1998 Python reunion special.

“I often found him warm and humourous.”

Rudolf Hess (1894–1987) German Nazi leader

Lt. Col. Eugene K. Bird

“I have never consciously "used" humour in my life. Such humour as I may have is one of the elements in which I live.”

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